Harlequin Gothic Romance Series No. 32017 - Shadow Over Bright Star

"The threats were ominous and none too subtle.  Jessica feared most the man she loved ..." (cover blurb)

 

This penultimate book in the Harlequin Gothic Romance line is the second, and final, entry in the series by author Irene M. Pascoe.  Her earlier book in this series, Lord of High Cliff Manor, was a great read, and like that earlier book, this one is a period piece that also features more romance that the other Harlequin Gothic novels.  While the prior book was dedicated to Pascoe's parents, this book has a dedication to her "sister, Nancy Daniels. And for Brett David, welcome to the world, little one."  This dedication, naming her sister as Nancy, confirms my suspicions from my previous blog post about the identity of Irene M. Pascoe and the fact she is one of the few authors who actually used her real name for the books.

 

Shadow Over Bright Star takes place in 1862 in the Nevada Territory, two years before Nevada actually became a state.  Our heroine, Jessica Winsor, has traveled there after receiving a returned letter informing her that her father has "died in an accident."  Upon arriving in Virginia City, she discovers that her father has a majority ownership in a silver mine that is part of the "Comstock Lode."  The problem lies in the fact that her father never told her about any partners in the mine, and she quickly learns that they knew nothing of her!  Two cousins - Derek and Brett Bonner - are now faced with the fact that a Winsor has come to claim their inheritance from the extremely successful and lucrative mine, and that this woman wants to not only claim the inheritance, but she wants to take an active role in the business!  There are plenty of shocks on both sides, but Jessica has the hardest hurdle to overcome - exactly how did her father die?  Everyone keeps telling her it was an accident, but when she finally is told that his body was found with a gun to his head and plenty of empty liquor bottles around, Jessica knows it was no accident.

 

Pascoe definitely did her research regarding the time period and the history of Virginia City. In the real world, Virginia City became a booming mining town after the 1859 Comstock Lode transformed the small town into a booming city and tourist destination.  While the book references "McGuire's Opera House" (p. 129), the real city actually boasts "Piper's Opera House."  The city today still boasts some of the original, preserved 19th century architecture and wooden sidewalks, allowing visitors to feel like they have stepped back in time to when Jessica would have walked those streets.  And like Jessica's father did in the backstory from the book, many of those early miners in the real world dug out holes in the side of the mountain, in which they lived while trying to strike it rich.  I love it when an author integrates real world history and locations into the story, as it breathes a bit more life and realism into the tale.

 

Jessica's fight to not only assert her right to her father's inheritance as the 60% owner of the silver mine, but also to take part in running the business, is the main focus of the story, but there is also the mystery of what happened to her father, who would have done such a thing, and is there someone now coming after Jessica?  Upon arrival, the hotel where Jessica is staying catches fire (starting just outside Jessica's room, nearly killing her and burning up all of her belongings, including personal photos of her father and brother!), and she barely escapes with her life.  Then, after moving in with the Bonners (at the invitation of Brett's parents, who own a small stake in the mine), a wheel comes off a carriage Jessica is driving, causing it to tip over the edge of a cliff, once again nearly killing her.  Thankfully for Jessica, third time is NOT a charm when it comes to attempts on her life, as a falling bottle of acid misses her by only inches while in the chemical laboratory at the business offices for the mining company.  It's clear someone is out to get rid of her, just as they did her father.  Is it Derek, for whom she feels a strong attraction, yet cannot make sense of his harsh attitude towards her?  Is it his cousin Brett, who has been so cordial to her, yet seems jealous of her attention to Derek?  Is it Brett's father, Seth, who is trying everything to coerce Jessica to deposit all of her newfound wealth into his bank for investing?  Is it Brett's mother, Amanda, who is super-sweet on the outside, but is clearly after only more money and power?  Or, are all of these things truly only accidents, and Jessica is making more out of them than what they are?

 

Pascoe does a great job of building the suspense, and she manages to step outside the normal Gothic tropes when it comes to the good guy/bad guy scenario.  The ultimate revelation as to who is determined to get Jessica out of the picture is not at all who I was expecting, which made it all the better to read.  Another aspect of the story I enjoyed was Pascoe's insertion of several supporting characters who added to the world created within the book, fleshing it out and making it much more believable.  First, there is the kindly Mrs. Crawford, who takes Jessica in after she is nearly killed in the fire.  Jessica visits her several times throughout the story - her visits and conversations have no ultimate bearing on the mystery, but they do give the reader a stronger sense of Jessica's character and personality.  Then, there is Julia Bulette, a woman of ... questionable ... profession who is actually a highly respected part of the community, even serving on the fire brigade (she helped put out the fire the night Jessica was nearly killed) - one again, a character that has no connection to the mystery, but she builds up the diversity of the community and the attitudes of various characters when talking about her.  There is also Sophie Tyler, the wealthiest woman in the town who provides Jessica with the truth (or, at least, what the town believes to be the truth) about how her father died.  Pascoe manages to write some very strong, powerful women into the story, which is a pleasant surprise, considering that in the 1880s, most men would have viewed women as Derek, Brett, and Seth do within the story - as the weaker sex, with no mind of their own, and no business being involved in ... well, business.

 

Not sure who provided the cover art for this book, as there is no signature and no credit given.  I do, however, absolutely love the scene, as it steps a bit away from the Gothic norm.  There is no dark mansion in the background; instead, we get a cemetery, with Jessica running through it, tightly gripping the papers (which I can only assume are the documents she brought with her to prove her identity and her right to her father's share of the mine).  The dress she is wearing, lavender with the frill, is described as one she wears in the book, having been given the dress by Julia Bulette after all of her things are burned up in the fire. I love the color and the design of the dress, and I think it blends perfectly with the stormy background.  This scene, however, never actually occurs in the story.  When Jessica does eventually visit the cemetery to see her father's grave, there is no dramatic scene that takes place there.

 

Another Harlequin Gothic that is well worth the read.  

 

RATING:  10 framed maps of the silver mines out of 10 for keeping the danger and threat-level high from beginning to end, making the book a true page-turner!